Best Street Tires?

[brgelise]

Look at the survey results on the Generals. Don't get put off by the name, they're a division of Continental Tire and this is there "we're back!!" model. All other things being equal. just look at the price, and faxct that they're available in 195/50R16 for LSS wheels and you can fit this tire on the stock wheels just fine! Can't speak for the base suspension, but they neutralized the Bilstein harshness nicely and have yet to find a place on public roads where I can exceed their traction limits. You'll never have traction issues in the dry on any public street with a Lotus, unless you're driving insanely, but the wet is another sory and its here these are second to none!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ewalberg]

Maybe becuase i've got 205/50r16 which is a little taller that i find they push a little excessively on my LSS rims... and maybe because i've got the LSD on my car i find they're not that difficult to break loose the rear... i'm having a hard time agreeing that they have no traction issues based... especially based on how hard on tires people seem to be here.

Don't get me wrong, i think they'll probably shed more water than any other option on the market because of their long deep V grooves, and they're nice and predictable at the limits, and they do great to soften the ride on LSS suspension, but lots of people here complain about lack of traction and soft sidewalls so a little caution should be taken with these tires for the buyer.

And on wet surface their traction is only just average if you ask me. it's definitely noticeably worse than in the dry... Hydroplane resistence is next to none i think... it is great, but wet traction i think it just okay.

I bought them wanting a softer ride and better puddle performance and got what i wanted for a great price. (after only a few thousand miles all 4 were slashed in a vandalism event that hit some 150 cars in SF, and i bought the same tires again). And the car is still definitely fun for me to drive... i'm just sayin if you're used to a toyo RA-1 or a048 and you basically like how those tires ride and like that level of traciton and don't see any puddles, but need something more daily driver oriented i think you're going to find the generals exclaim uhp as an underperforming tire even if they met my expectations.

[brgelise]

If you're pushing, are you still running stock alignment specs. That is setup to push. I'm at -1.6/-2.5 and no push here. These cars were setup with alignment specs to allow Joe Average to enjoy the ride without doing him/herself in. A proper alignment greatly reduces the need to depend on ultra/extreme sticky rubber. I actually feel I have far better handling limits with my alignment/generals combo than I ever had with stock alignment and A048's in anything short of 80-90 degree weather.
This is no different than being able to on A048's, at the track, readily outrun guys/gals on Hoosiers with stock alignments!! I think if you asked Mark Starr about this he'd agree and did it far better than I could.

[Zoomer602]

Originally Posted by brgelise

General Exclaim UHP's for street. Lov'm best rain tire I've ever had (rain tires for track too). I gave up on DotR for street cause in New England it drops below 60 a lot in mornings as well as spring and fall and below 60 Dot R's are useless unles you are at a track and can actually get heat into them. AD07's better, but they suck below 50 degrees for same reasons

How loud are the Exclaims? - need a set of rears for my just aquired 99 esprit. Considering these, the Michelin pilot2 or the Godyear's

[brgelise]

Exclaim UHP's are Extremely smooth and quiet!! Probably a great choice for a street driven Esprit esp if it is allowed to see rain!!!!!!!!!
People that have some track experience and have modified their alignments know the alignment ,IMHO (and in many others) is a far more critical aspect of the handling equation than the tires. Even with the Exclaims, for me to exceed the handling limits of this car on the street, I'd have to do something really outrageous or stupid.

[azmurciev12]

if purely for street, one of the best and cost effective tire i've used is the Nitto INVO. they have good grip dry and wet and are quiet and give a comfy ride. fantastic street tires.

[ewalberg]

turning left onto a four lane road (2 each way) so it's not like i'm making a particularly tight turn, i can break my rear loose after i'm in first gear (i'm not popping or slipping the clutch) and before 6k rpms.... before the cam switch point. I don't think i could do it without the LSD becuase i would otherwise just spin the inside tire...

I'm not saying getting the rear loose is smart, i've only done it when the road is empty, but i'm not popping the clutch or doing anything strange to accomplish it.

I totally agree with all your statements about proper alignement and it's impact on handling... i've debated increasing my front camber for that reason, and along those lines i pointed out that i'm using taller than spec front tires which people have said will agravate pushing.

I also agree that you'd have to be going substantially faster than the limit to get yourself into trouble with these tires, at least if you're not hard on the throttle or with LSD. But that's not my point. Considering peoples complaints about the loss of "feel" with softer tires and the need for DOT competition levels of traction, pretty much implies they're driving at substantially illegal speeds, ie. doing outrageous and stupid things so using that as a reason why your tires are okay because you and I are not putting ourselves in that situation isn't necessarily justification for why they should be okay for everyone.

My point remains that given how people do usually complain here about soft sidewalled tires that don't have lots of traction... they may be underwhelmed by the tires, that i don't think is arguable. They lack of common sense or driving styles, or driving skills are not the point. It's a matter of preference for what people want/expect. When i read the reviews of VW drivers complaining of the exlaim UHP soft sidewalls, i thought that's the tire i want!... something cushier than those friggin' A048's!

With my existing alignment the Exclaim UHP's have always been fun and worked for me at the speeds i drive... although i do wish they had more traction on wet surfaces but i don't have any expereince with more expensive tires that are designed for wet surfaces for comparison.

To zoomer602, i agree with brgelise, the exlaim uhp should make for a nice daily tire with the caveats i've already gone through.

I however disagree that alignement is more imporatant than the tires. Alignement enables the tires, the tires are the foundation... you can drive down the road with messed up alignement if you don't try stupid and outrageous things, but you can't drive down the road without tires... but this is semantics.

[brgelise]

Good points and comments accepted! My 05 doesn't have LSD and unless I was an auto crosser or had a lot of power upgrades I'm glad I don't. Your ability to brake rear end free doesn't exist for me cause if i unload the inside tire that much I get wheel spin, that in turn tells me I came in too hot, and didn't properly unwind the wheel enough to allow proper power application. Siseways rear is alot of fun but its certainly not faster than a good clean line. Only track turn I've ever wished for LSD is the uphill at NHIS. I've learned use the hipo line thru thereie straighten out early and then stand on the gas.
Guess I'm at a point where if they wanna pass I let them pass. sually I'm back up under them on the next turn anyway, esp on the street if someone needs a lesson, done politely of course.

[ewalberg]

when i was on track for the first time recently i was oddly suprised to find that when rounding long corners at what i thought was max traction, getting harder on the throttle would keep sticking exactly the same or even turned slightly tighter when more power should have made it push more... the only thing i can think of was that the LSD, which induces some wheel spin under power was breaking the rear loose sufficiently to counteract that more power should make it want to push. My other car is a g500 which has factory front, center, and rear diff locks, so what/how/when it's useful to manage wheel spin is something of great discussion and conjecture... in the end if your setup is working for you...

[apexdc]

I have run A048's and 888's both on street and track. I only run them because I do track days and DEFINITELY would not run them if I was not tracking the car. They are many other superior tires for pure street use.

[Zinhead]

Originally Posted by ewalberg

when i was on track for the first time recently i was oddly suprised to find that when rounding long corners at what i thought was max traction, getting harder on the throttle would keep sticking exactly the same or even turned slightly tighter when more power should have made it push more... the only thing i can think of was that the LSD, which induces some wheel spin under power was breaking the rear loose sufficiently to counteract that more power should make it want to push. My other car is a g500 which has factory front, center, and rear diff locks, so what/how/when it's useful to manage wheel spin is something of great discussion and conjecture... in the end if your setup is working for you...

My non-LSD car does the same thing. When you accelerate, you shift more weight to the rear of the car and lighten the front. That tends to rotate the car into the turn.

[Zoomer602]

How does one buy 4 tires for a Lotus Esprit (1999). My stock tire sizes are 285/35/18 in the rear and 235/40/17 in the front. If you are suppose to match tread and tires it seems almost impossible to do with the tires I am trying to compare. Nitto 555 has the rears but not the front size. Michelin's (can get 1/2 in Sport ps2 and 1/2 in Sport, Goodyear (F1 GS-D3), General Exclaim UHP - NONE of these have 4 tires that I can buy with matching tread patterns. Tirerack only shows two choices for the car with matching tires....SO....how do others deal with this?

[erics75218]

I'm in the same boat as the OP. Looking at trying to get the fronts in the "stock" 195/50/16 size and I saw these on Tire Rack

Goodyear Eagle RS-A

They are on sale for $77 each for the fronts...with 225/45/17 on the rear it's comming out to $400 before shipping.

Anyone like these tires? Maybe this is a great deal?

[erics75218]

nevermind, those goodyears are all season turds. :-(

Looks like in stock fronts...your options are pretty limited...those Generals look ok

[Zoomer602]

I am surprised that no one has commented on tires for my Louts TT (1999). Looks like most of the great tires can not be purchased in a set of 4 as no one makes them in both front and rear sizes. At this point I am leaning toward Nitto 05 as they do come in both sizes. Too bad the 555 do not, nor any of the Goodyear, Michelin, General etc....